Registering your baby born in Spain: Registro Civil, birth certificate and nationality

What birth registration is

A baby born in Spain must be registered at the Registro Civil — usually by the hospital within 72 hours; otherwise, the parents normally have 10 days to declare the birth.

Check my baby's registration

Registration produces the certificado de nacimiento. New libros de familia are no longer issued, although older ones remain valid.

It is the basis for the next steps: registering the baby on the padrón, obtaining a health card and assigning a paediatrician, and arranging the baby's passport through the relevant consulate.

Who registers (any status)

• The parents of a baby born in Spain must register the birth regardless of their immigration status.
• The hospital usually issues the medical birth report (parte de nacimiento) that starts the process.
• There are legal deadlines: 72 hours if the healthcare centre communicates it and usually 10 days if the parents must declare it at the Registro Civil.

The baby's nationality

• Being born in Spain does NOT automatically make a child Spanish — Spain does not apply unrestricted ius soli. The baby normally acquires the nationality of one or both parents.
• Spanish nationality may be de origen in the Civil Code art. 17 cases (for example, a Spanish parent, one foreign parent also born in Spain except diplomatic/consular cases, or to avoid statelessness); otherwise it may come later by opción or residence — see the children's nationality guide.
• The baby has the right to registration, healthcare and schooling regardless of the parents' status.

Documents you need

• The hospital's parte de nacimiento (medical birth report).
• Both parents' ID (NIE/TIE/passport) and, if applicable, a marriage certificate or an older libro de familia.
• For foreign documents: often an apostille and a sworn translation.
• Afterwards: padrón for the baby, and the consulate's requirements for the baby's passport/nationality.

From the hospital to the health card

1. The hospital issues the parte de nacimiento (medical birth report).
2. Register the birth at the Registro Civil (or via the hospital) within the deadline.
3. Get the certificado de nacimiento or registry certificate.
4. Empadronar the baby at your town hall: it is commonly used as proof of address for school admission and the health card, but regional admission rules may accept other evidence — the baby’s right to healthcare does not depend on it.
5. Get the baby a tarjeta sanitaria and have a paediatrician assigned.
6. Arrange the baby's nationality and passport documents through the relevant consulate, and check any applicable route to Spanish nationality.

A real case: a girl with no birth registration was recognised as Spanish

Common mistakes

• Assuming a baby born in Spain is automatically Spanish — usually not.
• Missing the 72-hour hospital route or the 10-day Registro Civil declaration deadline.
• Assuming the baby cannot enrol in school without the padrón (it is common proof of address, but regional rules may accept alternatives; for the health card it is also the usual proof, though the baby’s care does not depend on it).
• Failing to arrange the baby's nationality and passport documents through the relevant consulate.

If there are problems

• Birth registration cannot be refused because of the parents' immigration status.
• If the baby would otherwise be stateless, there is a specific route to Spanish nationality — get advice.

Related guides

Key terms in this guide

Birth registration FAQ

Official sources